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Tropical storm update

A beautiful night time shot off the coast of western Mexico. Lightning strikes seen over the ocean from Acapulco [Getty Images]

Despite the fact that the official hurricane season does not actually start until the beginning of June, we already have two tropical systems which have developed either side of North America. This is the first time since records began that storms have developed in both the North Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific during the month of May.

Both storms are currently tropical depressions, but there the similarity ends. We can expect contrasting conditions from these systems over the next few days.

Tropical Depression Alberto, is now around 400km to the southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. It is expected to move in a general northeasterly direction over the next 24 hours before gradually fizzling out in the open waters of the North Atlantic.

Tropical Depression 02E on the other hand is a very different beast, for want of a better word. It currently lies about 800km to the southwest of Acapulco, Mexico and it is in the process of strengthening. Indeed it is expected to become a tropical storm by the end of Tuesday.

The storm is expected to intensify further after that and could well become a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale during Wednesday. It may even strengthen into a Category 2 storm on Thursday with sustained winds approaching 160kph.

Current projections suggest that it will make landfall in Western Mexico on Saturday. When it does do so, we expect damaging winds back around 120kph bringing the inevitable torrential rains and threat of flooding. The storm will then be known as Hurricane Bud.